Do Not Buy Diamonds From These Chappies

If, as you enjoy your trip to Amsterdam, you happened to be approached by these two gentlemen and are offered a tempting price on a beautifully cut diamond, the sort of gem that might usually sell for, oh, in the region of 175,000 Euros … well, you should, perhaps, politely decline.

You see, it very much appears that they nicked just such a stone from Gassan Diamonds Amsterdam showroom. It took them only a matter of minutes, they did it right under the noses of the staff and walked calmly out, without the firm’s security noticing a thing.

You might be wondering how these modern-day Pink Panthers managed to pull it off. I mean, we have to presume that diamond showrooms are precisely the sort of place in which the staff are looking out for this sort of thing. Well, it turns out that, while posing as potential buyers and examining some diamonds, they distracted the staff with amiable conversation and deftly swapped one for a cheap zircon fake of the same size and shape.

The swap was not noticed until long after they had left. The men are believed to have spoken Chinese but, as they cannot be sure, the police advise that you should be suspicious of all Asians.

We wait with bated breath to see if this simple but wildly profitable technique is adopted by Amsterdam’s own criminal underclass. It will be interesting to see if anyone can manage to swap their crappy Android phone for an iPhone.